Discount Pellet Stoves

Best Prices on Discount Pellet Stoves Require Comprises

Although you can find discount pellets stoves at places like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Northern Tool, most experts advise that you purchase a pellet stove from an independent dealer who can provide ongoing service and parts. You'll find prices are about half of what the best pellet stove brands sell for.

But you'll have to make some comprises. Lower efficiency, noise, and the potential for quality issues are among the compromises you'll have to consider. Also, these stoves require premium-grade pellets, which are not always easy to find.

You'll also need a portable generator instead of backup battery in the event of an electrical outage.

Yet, even with all these factors taken into consideration, many owners of discount pellet stoves claim they are still more convenient than using wood stoves and cost much less money when compared to more expensive fuels like oil.

Home Depot and Lowe's both sell discount pellet stoves made by England's Stove Works, a suggested manufacturer. They make Summers Heat Stoves for Lowe's and Englander pellet stoves for Home Depot.

It should be noted that owner-written reviews are lower for pellet stoves than for wood stoves at both Lowe's and Home Depot. But pellet stoves are more complicated to use than wood stoves and this creates the potential for more things to go wrong.

As long as the pellet stoves work, owners say that they do save money using them. But there are frequent complaints of the stove breaking down early.

Another major inconvenience is the lack of an ash pan.

The Englander 25-PDVC

This unit retails for approximately $1,650 and is rated up to 1,500 square feet. HomeDepot.com reports that it received slightly higher than average ratings than the larger and more expensive Englander 25-PDV, which retails for about $2,050, and is rated for up to 2,200 square feet.

Needed repairs to the auger and blower are common owner complaints, but this is offset by Englander's superb phone support, as reported by Epinions.com and HomeDepot.com.

The unit comes with a 5-year warranty that covers just the firebox. The rest of the parts are only covered for one year. (This type of warranty also extends to the more expensive pellet stoves. Motors and other moving parts are typically covered in a separate warrant for a shorter period of time.)

Pellet stoves written reviews from Lowe's are harder to come by because the company just recently switched from numeric ratings to publishing owner's comments.

Summers Heat 55-SHP10L

This unit sells for about $1,300 and was given reasonably high ratings by almost 90 owners. Problems with the augur was a common complaint, which is typical for discount models.

The unit is rated for up to 1,500 square feet. Owner's report that it is a bare bones model and it does not come with an ash pan - a common compromise necessary for a discount price. The stove also does not come with a connection kit for connecting to burn the air outside.

The through-the-wall kit that is required for the vent pipe will set you back another $200 extra.

Northern Tool sells pellet stoves made by US Stove Company and also it's own NorthStar brand.

US Stove #5500

This costs about $1300 is a 48,000 BTU stove that is rated up to 1,200 square feet. The few owners that have reviewed it give it fairly good ratings. All of these reviewers said they would recommend it. The pellet stove’s very generous hopper holds 120 pounds of pellets.

It doesn't come with a backup battery and one reviewer claims it sometimes has to be manually ignited. Overall, though, owners state it is more convenient that using a wood burning stove. The stove has 9 heat settings and carries the option of purchasing a wall thermostat.

This particular stove needs to be set back a few more inches from the wall than the best pellet stoves. It's a no frills stove that owners say works well, which makes it one of the better discount stoves.